Sebastopol, CA, July 11, 2011—Ignite Great Lakes, the first-ever regional Ignite event, is coming to the Fillmore Detroit in Detroit, MI on July 30. Building on the success of 30+ local Ignites in Michigan, Ontario, Ohio, and throughout the surrounding area, Ignite Great Lakes will feature 12-15 of the best presentations from the Great Lakes region.

A community-powered event, Ignite (@ignite) offers a unique blend of networking, information, and fun, encapsulated in the Ignite slogan: "Enlighten us, but make it quick!" Presenters share their personal and professional passions in talks that last exactly five minutes, with 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds—whether they're ready or not. The evening kicks off with a MAKE contest, challenging teams of audience members to build something on the spot—a popsicle-stick bridge, marshmallow shooter, or other DIY project from the pages of MAKE magazine.

From its start as a grassroots event in Seattle, Ignite has grown into a worldwide phenomenon involving more than 350 cities and hundreds of dedicated volunteer organizers. In cities across the globe, Ignite brings together geeks, students, lawmakers, families, influencers, and entrepreneurs in a unique community-building event.

"Ignite is the one place we can get all of these diverse groups—interesting, smart people—together in the same room," says Betsy Weber, Ignite Lansing organizer and Chief Evangelist at TechSmith. "This event has brought our community together in ways that we never imagined. People are choosing to stay, and even moving back to Lansing, because of Ignite."

Hosted by O'Reilly Media in conjunction with Maker Faire Detroit, Ignite will serve as an "after hours" event for Maker Faire attendees and locals alike. The creative economy in the greater Detroit area is alive and well—Ignite Detroit 2 (April 14, 2011) hosted 650 attendees, and Ignite Lansing 4 (February 11, 2011) sold out of tickets for 800 attendees less than four hours after opening registration. The fast-paced, fun, and thought-provoking talks that are the heart of Ignite attract an enthusiastic audience of trendsetters, innovators, and influencers.

"Within five minutes of listening to any speaker, you know if you're interested in the topic or not," claims Ignite co-founder Brady Forrest. "Because the format is so constrained, people have to be creative in other ways," says Forrest. "It keeps speakers concise and on target. They have to think about every word they're going to use."

However, speakers are free to choose any topic that they're passionate about, which gives them the opportunity to present an important message to a receptive audience. This passion, combined with an engaged audience, has resulted in start-ups, community groups, and life-changing decisions around the world.

Calendar Editors:
Get enlightened in Detroit at Ignite Great Lakes, 7pm Saturday, July 30 at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward, Detroit, MI. http://igniteshow.com/greatlakes Tickets are free, but registration is required.

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